thanks again for all the help to prepare for my first 100km ride - nearly ready I hope and thanks to advice about cadence and long slow hills hopefully can have fun and really enjoy it.

a couple of questions for those of you who actually know about cycling - (hope you don't mind the endless ??? - even reading cycling past 50 gave me more questions than answers at this stage)

1.should I use bum butter - have got good knicks but do suffer a little after 40 odd kms - will it help?2. should I use a energy supplement in water bottles - is this a real advantage or only necessary for the riders really powering along - mind you my body thinks it is performing at its limit at this stage - 3.any other advice you can offer besides staying straight and out of the way of others!!

thanks to you all I can now use my gears, have gotten a little faster, have worked out a comfortable cadence and get up the hills (small though they be) . Yesterday I actually saw a hill on the way to Noosa and went and had a go - for no real reason except I could - yipeeeeee.Still cannot stand up on hills and cannot drink while riding - but will get there.

all four daughters (17,20,26 & 30) riding with me Sunday as well as my hubby - local bike shop loves us - and the girls have taken time off work and uni to practice - all real novices (except hubby) but loving this - and great to do something together.Two bike holidays planned - one week in Tassie hopefully next time Tony home on a swing and one month in Europe next year - I am going to climb alpe d'huez!!!! well I am going to ride up it very slowly - but figure if wiggins can do some stages with mountain bike cassette then its ok for me to put a triple on and try really hard.thanks everyone for their help - hope I get to say hi to some of you on Sunday at the finish

1. Get well hydrated the day before.2. Carb up the night before (pizza/pasta)3. Fuel up low GI before the ride (Weetbix are always good).

Hydration during the ride is a personal choice. Some people like sports drinks other water. Personally, I take one of each. If it hot/humid make sure you keep the fluids up and refill at the rest stops.

Plus one on hydrate well the day before, it has made a big difference to some of my endurance rides to help prevent cramping. I aim to drink arounf 2l of water the day before a big ride, and then have at least a bottle before taking off in the morning. I go for about half and half sports drink to water on the ride. I'll take a zip lock bag of sports drink powder to make up a bottle on the run, you can get Gatorade or similar powder from the supermarket, it's cheaper than buying it premixed.

bychosis (bahy-koh-sis): A mental disorder of delusions indicating impaired contact with a reality of no bicycles.

fionahills wrote:1.should I use bum butter - have got good knicks but do suffer a little after 40 odd kms - will it help?2. should I use a energy supplement in water bottles - is this a real advantage or only necessary for the riders really powering along - mind you my body thinks it is performing at its limit at this stage - 3.any other advice you can offer besides staying straight and out of the way of others!!

1. Yes, absolutely, use chamois creme liberally - very liberally.2. Not really any need - snacks and isotonic drinks will be available at the two rest stops, make sure you take advantage.3. There will be a lot of pushy, inconsiderate types at the start, so just let 'em go. And don't rush - enjoy the ride.

Yes I don't get the w@#kers that think they are pro riders and you at you trying to catch you out looking at them to boost their ego. Sometimes I think cycling is worse than the gym! I saw a classic case on my commute to work the other day.

Thanks so much for all your help - all six of us made it. I managed a 4 hour 44 min ride time at 22.9 kph av, with 88 rpm. Was really hot - none of the hills were a problem (I was slow but steady) -

I absolutely loved it - and want another big goal - NOW.....

I felt quite well all the way through - felt a little superior when I cycled past the hill walkers !!!! (bit of a tosser attitude) but then got my come-up-annce when the early groups met us on their way back!!!! that'll teach me.....

All went very well except eldest daughter had 4 flats and we were riding more or less together - so mum's job is to stay and help- so no tubes or canisters left by the end - could find nothing in the tyre but throwing it out this morning!!!!

last one only 10 kms to go and we looked at each other - should we pull the pin or not - felt like we were racing to stay ahead of the sag wagon all day - but we decided to keep going -

So glad we did although I do feel a bit like a cheat with all the stops for the flats - but by the end we were changing them pretty quickly. our official pit stops were very fleeting - again every time we pulled in the sag wagon came along -so we scurried off before they got us.

Thanks so much for all your help - you guys were great - could not have managed without your great advice. xxxx fiona

Fi - you rode 100km - it was the first time I have done it and my legs feel less than ordinary today. You're far from a phoney - live it up!

+1 It is the first long ride you've done and you not only manage to ride it but you managed to get your family through it as well. It's not about what time you did, it's about pushing yourself. You goal was to finish the ride and you did. So well done!

Fi - you rode 100km - it was the first time I have done it and my legs feel less than ordinary today. You're far from a phoney - live it up!

+1 It is the first long ride you've done and you not only manage to ride it but you managed to get your family through it as well. It's not about what time you did, it's about pushing yourself. You goal was to finish the ride and you did. So well done!

+1 Well done Fi! you should be very very proud of yourself and your daughters. How about a 5 day tour next easter for the next challenge? about 100KM a day.